United We Stand
by Rainbowhawk1993
Summary: The Queen of the Swarm is reformed. The tyrant of the Terran Dominion has fallen. Now, an unknown enemy lurks in the shadows and is preparing to strike. The inhabitants of the Koprulu sector must now come together for one final fight and decide the future of their kinds. A continuation of "We are who we choose to be." Co-written by Ragnarok666.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

Sarah's eyes looked out to the endless void. Every star glowed in the distance accompanied by the one next to it. It made her think about what humanity had thought when they looked up at the sky on Old Earth. What did the humans think when they looked at the stars? Were there other worlds out there that were like their own? Did any of them contain a unique form of life to discover? Well they found out when the United Power's League sent the first settlers of the Koprulu sector on their way. After years of building a new civilization in the corner of the galaxy, the question of whether they were alone was answered. The Zerg showed up consuming anything in their way and the Protoss displayed their might with their destructive powers. The war swept the sector into a frenzy of bloodshed, unity, betrayal and blurring the lines between right and wrong. And now, it was happening again but with new enemies and more lines blurred.

For Sarah, it was a long journey. Abused as a child and used a pawn for corruption, she was freed and fought alongside the man who saved her. When she was betrayed, she was taken and made into a pawn of the ravenous creatures that threatened humanity. Even when her master was destroyed, she was still a slave to her own anger that the master's master brought out in her.

She continued to do what she did until that one person who truly believed in her came and freed her from that influence. But the happily ever after never came when he was taken and was said to be dead. Though the anger she had did not consumer her with the dark influence, she set out to do what the one person that mattered to her did not want her to do. She returned to the Swarm and regained her powers to fulfill her revenge. But unlike the creature she was before, she retained many parts of herself of what she was before. With these new powers and the reformed army that marched behind her, she had what she needed to take down the one that betrayed her.

When she learned that the one she cared for was still alive, she didn't feel surprised. She went out and saved him, enduring his reaction when he saw her. Without anything else that bobbed her down, she moved in on the Emperor's home world and unleashed her army on the planet. The only mercy that she showed was to allow the innocents that stood between her and the Emperor time to get out of the way.

After long hours of fighting, she made it to the final stretch between her and her goal. But the fight had a sudden and unexpected audible. The man who she thought she had all but left behind had returned to give her one last helping hand. She was capable of defeating the last lines by herself but she accepted his help. The men and women who helped lift the influence from the Queen's mind fought alongside her and her army. Together, they crushed the Emperor's defenses and she walked up to the Emperor's throne to finish the job. But the emperor had one final surprise for the queen. The surprise brought her to her knees and she would have been the one that was finished. But because he came back to help her, he was able to save her. He stopped the Emperor before he could kill her. Without anything to hid behind and the surprise useless, the Queen moved in, and finish it.

With her task complete, the Queen returned with her army to search the stars for the bigger threat that lurked over the horizon. But before she left, she gave a simple but meaningful "Thank you" to the man who she cared for. Not a thank you for helping her fight, or a thank you for saving her life moments before. But a thank you for the things that he had given her, both from the times when they first met and the recent weeks when they were back together. Those things, she realized, were what kept her from being the Queen she once was. And it was those that drove her to set out and find the enemy that threatened all life in the Galaxy.

But now, she was uncertain. It had been a week since the Swarm had crushed Korhal and killed Arcturus Mengsk with no body to put into a grave for anyone to pass by. She had explored several of the systems but the clues of Amon's location were scarce and few.

But that wasn't what bothered her. She was bothered by the future. On Korhal, she said that the fight against Amon would be futile and they would die fighting him. They would die, but they would die on their feet and not as slaves to his will.

But there was one complication that made her rethink her plan. When Jim came down to assist her, it meant that there was still something in Jim that accepted and believed in Sarah. When she set out to gather the swarm, she had nothing else for herself to do but finish her vendetta with Mengsk. When she knew that Amon was on the move when she face Narud, she accepted she had to fight him once her vendetta was finished. With Jim safe from harm, and the fact that she shattered what they had between them, she accepted that leading the Swarm to its glorious death was the only way to go.

But with Jim's actions of aiding her, it had become even more complicated. It meant that some part of him still believed in her. She couldn't go back to him when it was all finished. She had an entire species of aliens to look after. But if she died, Jim would blame himself again.

But where would she get help to fight Amon? The Terrans were already loathing the Zerg ever since they first appeared on their worlds. Not to mention she tore apart the bulk of the Dominion Military to get to Mengsk in the first place. That would have been helpful in fighting Amon. But considering that Mengsk was breeding the Hybrid army, they were on Amon's side.

Raynor's Raiders could be willing to follow Jim again like they did when they came down to take down the Emperor. But was it because they wanted to take down Mengsk only? Sarah doubted that many of the Raiders would follow Jim again and fight alongside her army just because he told them so. It worked once, but Sarah doubted it could happen again. And even if Raynor could do it again, their numbers were so few that it wasn't much help at all in the long run.

And the Protoss. It was almost a joke to even think they would ally with her. After all the pain she caused them when she was her old self, they would have a very hard time even accepting that she was the only hope for them. To top it all off, in her reformed state, an entire colony of Protoss was dead because of her. That ruled out any hope of redemption in their eyes.

It was only her and her Swarm.

"I'm sorry Jim." Sarah said to herself. The only solution that she could come up with is to send the swarm on their suicide mission and hopefully weaken Amon enough for the Protoss and Terrans to get together to finish the job. Jim would be a better person to unite the other Terrans and have the Protoss join them in the fight. It wasn't a good plan, but it was the only practical one she could think of. As for Jim, it would be better if she was the one that falls and not him. It would shatter his heart again, but in war, there had to be sacrifices. And under the circumstances, it was better to sacrifice herself than anyone else this time.

* * *

**Author's note:** As promised, I am continuing "We are who we choose to be." This'll be my first long term project so I apologize in advance if the updates end up being slow sometimes but I'll do my best to make the chapters as best as I can make them while getting them up every 1-2 weeks. As stated in the description, this is co-written by Ragnarok666, who is honestly the most dedicated StarCraft Fan-fic writer on the site. And I'd like to thank him for convincing me to do this thing. The next chapter will be uploaded next week so stayed tuned. Let me know what you think about this with a review, PM me if you'd like to give me some ideas about the later chapters, and let me know if this fic is one of the better LotVs out there.


	2. Chapter 2

**Augustgrad, Korhal**

When the Queen of Blades left Korhal once Valerian's father was dealt with, the city was left in a smoking ruin with almost nothing left intact. Many of the colossal skyscrapers were still standing but each floor was either burning or missing entirely.

The first order of business was to clean up the streets of the dead Terrans and Zerg. The corpses of the Dominion were collected for proper burials while the Zerg were put into fire pits for mass cremation, except for the new Primal Zerg that were collected for further study. During the clean up, many of the city's engineers and construction workers had returned from the evacuation to aid in rebuilding the city.

As promised, Raynor's mercenaries went into the palace and looted the riches that lay inside once the Queen had left the planet. Raynor hadn't informed Valerian about it until recently. But Valerian didn't mind that much because his father's reputation of hard fisted rule had left the palace as a symbol of corruption. Valerian did have some possessions in his own quarters there, which included a few antique weapons and some paintings, and he was able to get those while the mercs took the rest.

As for what to do with the Palace, the mercs and Raiders had ideas of rigging it to send the monument of tyranny sky high. Valerian had a better idea. Since the war had left many people without a home, Valerian repurposed the structure into a large refugee center. Many of the Dominion citizens from many of the refugee camps across the sector were put into the palace for temporary housing. For many it was an improvement from the overcrowded camps of the fringe worlds.

By now, the Dominion citizens would have learned a thing or two about the words of an absolute leader with Arcturus's speeches of looking over the Dominion people ensuring safety and stability. But with the Raiders' show with the Odin walker, Arcturus was discredited with his own words. With the broadcast, the entire Dominion was divided and the stability was shaken.

When Valerian set out with half of the Dominion to pacify the Queen of Blades, he hoped that it would help his reputation and show he was a worthy and better successor to his father. But that plan was turned sideways when the fleet was weakened greatly by the assault and when his father came to the scene. Valerian tried to reason with his father when he he demanded that they send Kerrigan to him. But his father wouldn't listen and fired on the limping fleet. Very few managed to escape with their lives with the Raiders. When it was over, his father took the credit for breaking the Zerg Swarm and ensured the people of the Dominion that the Zerg had finally been defeated.

But with the invasion of Korhal, his father's words were proven wrong again. Even more so when the public learned that James Raynor was alive when the Raiders came down for the final push to the Palace. With the former emperor now dead and the Dominion in pieces, Valerian was now in power and bared the responsibility to put everything back together. It wasn't the state that Valerian would have wanted to inherit the throne, but he knew that he had a responsibility to do what he needed to do no matter the situation. Because the people of the sector had seen the empty words of his father, it was going to be harder for the people to believe him and cooperate to rebuild everything.

To start the process of gaining the trust of the Dominion people, Valerian set his center of operations at ground zero. By setting up the reconstruction center within a tent camp, the Dominion people would see that he's not the king on top of the pyramid. He was there in the dirt with the rest of the people. And the down-in-the-dirt thing was actually relevant because of his experience with the Raiders. When the Hyperion hid in Dead Man's Port, he had to blend in with the rest of the inhabitants of the rock, complete with dirt in the face and grease in the hair. That experience made him see what the people of Koprulu were going through.

Along with rebuilding the capital, Valerian had to deal with the relations with the Combine and the Protectorate now that his father was removed. The Protectorate was pleased that the corrupt emperor was dealt with and no longer a threat to their peaceful and democratic way of life. However, even with Valerian's history of growing up with his mother on Umoja and his good relationship with them in the past months, the government was still suspicious of his rule knowing that they helped Arcturus in the past. That was understandable and Valerian was confident he would gain their trust with fewer complications.

The Kel-Morians on the other hand would be more of a challenge. Because of their unstable nature and even more unstable history with the Confederacy and the Dominion, they were unpredictable. The government itself was interested in the sole purpose of profit and gave their own people tough times to keep their money flowing. With the tendency to search for profit, many of the citizens turned to professional piracy. Those pirates were turning out to be the bigger of the problems the Dominion now had with them. Because the Dominion fleet was decimated and the military strength was reduced to one-fourth of its original size, the pirates had an opening for more raids. The reports Valerian was getting confirmed it.

The pirates weren't the ones he was concerned about though. He wanted to get the cooperation of the main Combine and the guilds to allow them to sell him supplies to rebuild the Dominion worlds and repair the worlds and fleets as best they could. Because of the shrunken fleet and the history the Combine had with the Dominion, things could go very badly for Valerian now that the combine had the advantage over them. But like any other challenge, Valerian would face it one step at a time.

The other problem was the colonists of the fringe worlds. Mini-rebellions had caused major damage on the worlds and relationships soured greatly. With the Raiders' broadcast, the people of the fringes were happy to see Arcturus gone, but for their opinion on Valerian, it was divided among them. Some who had a positive attitude and had strong beliefs that change could happen would give Valerian a chance. Others who were abused by the Confederacy and Arcturus's Dominion might have learned to not trust the leader no matter the promises that were made to them. The rest of the people fell in the middle of the scale waiting to see if Valerian could do something.

Because of the Raiders' actions in aiding the Agrian colonists find a new home for them on the planet Haven, many of the refugees found hope in survival and they themselves found new planets to settle. Because of his father's harsh actions to abandon those people, they declared themselves to be independent of the Dominion. Valerian understood the actions these colonists took and he wouldn't forcibly take them back into the Dominion. Instead he had some negotiators, which included the Raiders, head out to the colonies and offered some reassurance of fairness from the Dominion. The fridge worlds still barring a Dominion Banner would be given aid and reformation offers to stabilize the colonies to make them better.

For the independent colonies, which were where the Raiders were going, Valerian made offers of military equipment and supply offerings to have the colonies open relations with the new Dominion. Hopefully, with these actions, both the people of the Dominion, and the people of the independent colonies and those of the Protectorate and maybe the Combine could see the fairness that Valieran wanted for the Empire.

Valerian sat down in front to the computer consol in his personal tent, which was slightly larger than the others in the camp but not by much. The screen flashed and the image of James Raynor appeared.

"Commander, I assume that you've been making progress with appealing to the colonies?"

"It's hard for a rebel hero to appeal to the people he fought for when he's vouching for the thing that he fought against."

"You only need to say that I'll give them some aid if they can open some relations with the new reformed Dominion. If we can appeal to them and make a good public image, we can remove the corruption that you fought against when my father founded this."

"If only you can keep your promises and convince the worlds that have Dominion banner that you'll help them for real, I'll do what I will. I might just be thinking about giving you a chance if you do, Junior. Just remember that the folks are now thinking twice about the king on his throne."

Valerian grinned for a brief moment. "I am glad I have some part of your trust, Commander. I hope that I can gain more of it in the future."

The communicator went dark. Valerian paused and looked outside at the skyscrapers in the distance. James Raynor and the Raiders were the best candidates for gaining the trust of the people of the Dominion fringe worlds and the new independent colonies. Raynor didn't take to the idea light lightly considering he'd been stabbed in the back by that someone before him. But considering that both men knew of the threat that was lurking in the shadows beyond Dominion space, precautions and preparations needed to made.

* * *

**Aboard the Leviathan, Outside Dominion Space**

"Did we find anything useful?" Sarah said.

"We have found simple experiment documents from the research facility and few useful Biomass, my queen." Izsha said. "But there are no clues to the presence of Amon."

The swarm had come back from a raid on a secret Dominion research facility on an unchartered planet. But it did not contain any of the Hybrid experiments or any useful data that would lead them on a path toward Amon. The rest of the Brood mothers and their lavations were out scouting other worlds for similar leads, but they hadn't had any success.

Sarah sighed. It was so frustrating having no direction of where to go. Amon was on the move and time was running out. If they didn't find him soon, then he'd be knowing on the door to the sector and it'd be too late for the Swarm and any other being in the Galaxy.

"Kerrigan," Stukov came up to her. "If I may, I would like to speak to you."

"Does it involve anything concerning our goal of finding our enemy?" Sarah said with a hint of impatience.

"In a matter of speaking. But it's a rather..." he paused. "Sensitive matter. "

Sarah took the "sensitive" part as something that was best to be discussed in private without the other's knowing.

"Izsha, tell the Brood mothers to meet us at the rally point. I will be in my chamber and I do not wish to be disturbed."

"It will be done, my queen." Izsha said. She retracted her serpent-like body into the wall of the Leviathan. Sarah and Stukov moved through the organic caverns of the Leviathan until they reached Sarah's personal chamber. The organic door slid shut behind them.

"What is so sensitive that we need to it from Zagara and the others?" Kerrgain asked Stukov immediately.

"It involves our mission." Stukov said. "But it also involves the specifics that you're not telling the Swarm."

Kerrigan's eye brow twitched. "I assume you know what it is that I am hiding?"

"You know that what makes you and I different from the swarm." Stukov said. "We both have things that the swarm lacks."

Kerrigan's frustration grew with Stukov's comment.

"Get to the point." She said. "I hardly think discussing the possibility of us retaining something after joining the swarm is something that can be helpful right now."

"I can see what it is that frustrates you. And it has something to do with what you left behind."

Sarah's eyes radiated violet at Stukov's words and the chamber shook a little bit. But the frustration and anger dissipated quickly and Sarah had it under control. Her eyes faded back to their original purple pupils. Her face relaxed and she took a deep breath. She turned her eyes away from Stukov.

"Was there anyone special to you Stukov?" She asked still looking away. "Before you left Earth?"

"The closest thing I've had of what could have been called family was my closest friend

Degalle. Now that he is gone, there's nothing of the life that I had before. But I still remember how he and I were close and I could see the love he had for his wife Helena."

Sarah could see where the conversation was going.

"What's your point in all this?"

"I see that your feelings for James Raynor is what's the matter."

Sarah paused for a moment. "How? I'm leading the swarm planet to planet to find Amon to fight him. Jim has nothing to do with what I am doing right now."

"Yes, we are scouring the planets to find Amon. But why are we so feisty to find him. We could all get killed if we move too fast."

"Didn't I tell you that our odds of survival against Amon are next to nothing?"

"Yes you did." Stukof said. " But would James want you to end your fight in defeat?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I understood what you meant when you said that we will all die when we fight this evil higher power. But that was before you saw that the one thing of your past life still has a place in you."

Sarah was at a loss of words.

"You should have figured out that I left him behind when I made my choice to return to what I was," she said. "There's no way I can go back to how it was this time. The only place I can be is right here with my army to fight our enemy."

Stukov allowed a moment of silence between them. Then Kerrigan broke it.

"And if you're if you're suggesting that we try to ally ourselves with what's left of the Terran fleets or the Protoss just so we have a chance to live through it, you obviously haven't learned enough about the situation."

"When Degulla and I lead the United Earth Directorate to conquer the Koprulu sector, your alliance with the Protoss and the scattered Koprulu Terrans was enough to defeat us." Even though Stukof was killed before Kerrigan managed to run the UED off of Korhal and eventually rip apart the last of the fleet as they ran, Stukof learned of how it happened when he was resurrected and infested twice.

"It was a strategy of deception that used desperation as the hook. Crushing the UED wasn't my goal. My goal was eradicate the last of the Cerebrates to have all the Zerg in the sector to myself. I've stabbed them in the back more than once. They've probably learned not to ever trust me again."

"So your plan still stands on a suicide run against the Hybrids."

"We will give everything we have against them, weaken them, and once we are done with, the Protoss and the Terran will hopefully get together to finish it all."

"Do you think the Protoss will work together with the Terrans."

"Jim's history with them is the only thing that holds it together. With the Zerg out of the picture, especially me out of it, it will be easier for him to get them together. If you don't like what I'm doing, you and your legion of infested Terrans are free to leave."

Stukov straightened his posture.

"If you believe that an alliance between the swarm and either the Protoss or the Terrans cannot be done, then it won't happen. I am only here to fight by your side because, like you, I have no other place to go. I will remain by your side and accept any order you give me."

Kerrigan gave a brief and light grin. "I honestly found it hard to believe that a Vice Admiral would have taken orders from someone like me."

"The day I was betrayed and killed by my old friend was the day I resigned my position as Vice Admiral. I am only a man whose being and soul have been twisted into something that has nowhere else to go. I will fight by your side till I fall and meet my friend Degulla in whatever afterlife he has been sent to."

Kerrgian looked into his fire-colored glowing eyes of the former human. Though the physical mutations grew on the side of his body and face, she could still see the individual that was lead by intuition. The words he gave her were true.

"I'm actually glad you're with the Swarm, Stukov. You are a very great help."

"I am happy to help. But if we are to continue on our mission, I only wish one small request."

"And what is that?"

"I want you to make sure that the Terrans and the Protoss will be ready to fight Amon by the time we draw our last breath. If we go into the fight too fast and die too quickly, Amon may heal his wounds and crush them before they fire off a bullet."

"I have faith that Jim can do that. But if we are to make our fight successful, I'll do whatever I can to get them ready."

"Then I have nothing else to say. I will return to my duties."

The former Vice Admiral turned and exited the Queen's chamber. Kerrigan sat down on her mound of Zerg material that acted as her throne. She closed her eyes and thought to herself until she opened them back up. She thought about what Stukov said.

Even though he was infested, he still retained many things of his past. He remembered that he was friends with Admiral Degulle and they flew into the Kopurul sector during the Brood War side by side. And he even remembered the name of Degulle's wife Helena. It was a chilling reminder of all the husbands and wives and sons and daughters who would not see their loved ones again because of what she did as both the Old and New Queen. But considering that Amon was going to remove everything including the loved ones, she was going to have to keep her mind focused and clear to finish what she started.

If they were to succeed, and if Raynor was to live, they had to make sure that both the Protoss and the Terrans would be ready. And they had to be careful not to die too quickly if they were to weaken Amon enough to finish the job. She would make sure it would happen.


	3. Chapter 3

**United News Network Studios, Korhal**

"Good evening everyone. This is Kate Lockwell for UNN." The famous reporter now Anchor Woman of UNN smiled into the camera as she sat comfortably in the studio chair. "It has been one week since the terrifying Zerg invasion of Korhal and after several days of reconstruction, we have managed to bring the UNN studios back online and continue our broadcasts to you."

"Tonight, we discuss the startling events of that took place in the streets of Korhal as the Zerg returned and left the City of Augustgrad in ruins along with severe casualties. Most noticeably among the casualties was the Emperor himself who died by the Queen of Blade's hands. However, even with the Dominion military decimated by this attack, civilian casualties were very miniscule as the evacuation of the populace proceeded efficiently. Many questions and rumors surround this terrifying yet fascinating turn of events.

"Here to answer many of these questions is our very special guest tonight; our new Emperor, Valerian Mengsk." Valerian smiled into the camera sitting comfortably in his chair across from Kate's. It was quite a while since he was interviewed by Kate during the Zerg's return to the sector. It would be an interesting interview indeed.

"On behalf of UNN, I'd like to say how grateful we are to have you here."

"The honor is mine, Kate." Valerian said with his charming smile. "I actually enjoy being on the air. Especially if it's with you."

Kate concealed her embarrassment and nearly blushed again remembering the last interview she had with him when he admitted that he had a crush on her. She regained her professional composure quickly.

"Thank you. Now, there are many questions that our viewers have been asking and rumors that have been surrounding the events of the last four years since the arrival of the Zerg and Protoss. I've narrowed as much as I could."

"I'll do my best to answer what I can answer."

"Ok, first question. It was rumored that after Raynor's Raiders came to Korhal and broadcasted the proof of your father's actions of using the Zerg to destroy Tarsonis, you took half of the Dominion fleet and attacked the Zerg home world of Char. Beyond that point, the events are unclear. Could you tell us what happened or at least some of the details that you can talk about?"

"The purpose of bringing the fleet to Char was to defeat the Queen of Blades to save the sector from the Zerg," Valerian replied carefully choosing his words. "I wished it to be done so that every man, women and child could be able to sleep peacefully at night."

"I see." Kate said. "There seems to have been some confusion surrounding the events of the Char invasion and the retreat of the Zerg. The last we heard, your father was the one who claimed the Zerg were defeated. But with the recent invasion of Korhal, these claims were proven false. Could you clarify what exactly happened?"

"What happened was the initial assault of Char was met with harder opposition than we anticipated. We nearly lost our invasion force but it was saved because of the help of James Raynor."

"So it was true that Jim Raynor was involved in the invasion."

"That is correct."

"Interesting. May I ask, why did Jim Raynor join the Dominion fleet that you lead to fight the Zerg? It's very hard to believe that a sworn enemy of the Dominion would agree to fight alongside the Dominion fleet."

"Jim Raynor was a sworn enemy of my father and the corrupt regime he stood for. The reason why I wanted his help was because of his extensive experience fighting the Zerg. With his understanding of Zerg tactics and knowing their strengths and weaknesses, he and his crew would be an invaluable asset for the operation. When the assault faltered, Raynor managed to get down to the surface and rally the survivors together. Once everyone was rallied together, he lead a strategic strike on the Zerg to weaken their defensive capabilities. When everything was put into place, Raynor lead the final assault and defeated the Queen of Blades."

"It's good that you mentioned that because there are now even more questions that involve the Queen of Blades and her return to the Dominion home world. It's obvious that the Queen was not killed at the end of the invasion of Char. So what happened?"

"In order to understand what happened, I need to tell you about how the Queen of Blades came to be." Valerian paused and drew a breath when Kate was ready to listen.

"The Queen of Blades was indeed once a human named Sarah Kerrigan. She was a very powerful psyonic. I don't know all the details but she was one of the Confederacy's top Ghosts. During her years as the Confederacy's agent, she was eventually sent to a secret facility where the confederacy had experimented on the Zerg before the first encounter in the Sara system. My father came to the facility when he lead the Sons of Korhal and freed her. From then on she was his second-in-command in his campaign against the Confederacy.

"When the Zerg first appeared on Mar Sara, my father and Kerrigan came to the planet and evacuated the civilians. It was then that James Raynor had joined my father's rebellion. He fought alongside the soldiers and alongside Kerrigan across several worlds including Antiga Prime. When they reached Tarsonis, my father set up the Psi-emitters as you may well know from the broadcast."

"So how did Kerrigan become the Queen of Blades?"

"When the Zerg started to flow onto the planet, the Protoss arrived. You may know that when humanity first encounter the Protoss, they incinerated several human worlds including Cara Sara, Mar Sara and Antiga Prime. The reason was because the worlds were infested by the Zerg and they couldn't risk them to spread any further. But because Tarsonis was vastly populated, the Protoss commanding the fleet ordered ground teams to defeat the Zerg and spare the citizens and the planet from destruction. But my father didn't want the Confederacy to escape and regroup so he ordered Kerrigan and a task group to stop the Protoss. They succeeded in pushing the Protoss off the planet but the Zerg began to overrun their position."

Valerian took a pause. "From James Raynor's account, Kerrigan called for evac but my father belayed the order and left her and the group behind."

Kate was silent for a second. No doubt the viewers were as shocked as she was. "So your father was the reason why the Queen of Blades was created?

"It was one of the unseen consequences that my father never saw. And leaving her behind was the reason Jim Raynor defected from my father's forces and started his rebellion."

"These are very shocking revelations," Kate said. "Ok, going back to recent events, we would like to know what really happened after the invasion of Char. It is obvious that the Queen of Blades was not killed."

"You are right because the invasion did not end with the execution of the Queen. I can't give specific details, but I can say that the Queen of Blades was weakened and pacified. What happed was we recovered her and brought her aboard Raynor's ship."

"What exactly was the purpose of recovering the weakened Queen of Blades? Most people would think that the greatest menace to humanity needed to be destroyed in order for humanity to survive?"

"When we defeated her, her Zerg form was removed and-"

"I'm sorry," Kate interrupted. "So you are saying that the Queen of Blade was returned to human form?"

"Yes," Valerian replied. He wasn't annoyed that Kate interrupted. She only interrupted because she wanted to get the question answered before the conversation drifted somewhere else. She wasn't an interviewer who pushed the interviewee into a corner to get the answer they wanted. Kate was a person that was curious and wanted to see all viewpoints.

"Most of her Zerg form was dissolved and her human form resurfaced. As for the method of how it was done, I'm afraid that's classified. I hope you can understand."

"Of course."

"When she was returned to her human form, she was weak and disoriented but she regained her composure after she rested. Kerrigan was a powerful psionic before she was taken by the Zerg and she retained much of her powers when she recovered. Now, the reason why we kept her alive was because we wanted to observe her to see if she could remember anything during her time as the Queen of Blades. We hoped to learn more about the Zerg through her."

"An interesting reason considering what had happened on Korhal a few days ago," Kate said.

"That was one of the unseen variables but it wasn't as simple as you may think." Valerian said immediately before Kate could change the subject. "What happened was my father arrived at Char to demand that Kerrigan be delivered to him. Raynor said no and I did so with him. He opened fire on what was left of the fleet that assaulted Char. We managed to escape and had been on the run ever since. That was until you reported the raid that resulted in what was thought to be the capture and execution of Jim Raynor. That was when Kerrigan went her way while I and the rest of Raynor's Raiders kept running from the Dominion fleet."

"So you took a stand against your father over the fate of the Queen of Blade's life?"

"It was more than that. You see, I grew up with my mother most of my life and when I met my father, we didn't have a good relationship at first. But when he took me to become his heir, I learned many things about being a strong leader. I learned to keep calm and when to make difficult decisions when they were needed. But I did see many things that were questionable or even unforgivable in my father. I didn't know that he used the psionic emitters to bring down Tarsonis and assume power. But my suspicions of my Father's actions were confirmed when the broadcast was made."

"We'll have more questions about you being the new emperor in a bit but the more pressing questions surround the recent events of the Zerg invasion of Korhal. The call for evacuation came before the Zerg vessels entered Korhal space and when the Zerg came down on the planet, they landed outside the walls of Augustgrad. What exactly happened?"

"When the Queen of Blades regained her powers and returned to the Koprulu sector with her army, she contacted me to tell me she was going to invade Korhal because of what my father had done to her in the past."

"So she contacted you before she unleashed her forces on the city? Why would she do that when she wanted to kill Arcturus?"

"She contacted me because she discovered somehow that Raynor was actually alive and held captive. We managed to locate him and he was rescued."

"So what you're saying is that she contacted you because Raynor was alive? Does this mean that Raynor had relationships with Kerrigan before she became the Queen? If she did, then does this mean she is a different person now?"

"I can't say anything about that only that Raynor and Kerrigan fought side by side as Sons of Korhal and brother and sisterhoods happen in war. That siblinghood can last a lifetime and affect people in many ways. As for if she's different, I honestly don't know anything about her beyond the fact that she showed mercy unlike the previous Queen of Blades. It is really unknown why she is not like the old Queen. Perhaps she had a stronger will than she when she was taken on Tarsonis. That may have allowed her to be in control when she returned to the Zerg to not be their puppet."

"Interesting," Kate said looking down at her question pad. "So what exactly happened prior to the invasion?"

"As I said before, she contacted me and Raynor's Raiders to rescue Jim. Afterwards, she told me of her plans to invade Korhal and kill my father. I understood that it was inevitable that my father would answer for his crimes and the reaper of his sins was in the form of the one that led the Swarm. I asked that she hold her attack and land outside the city to allow the civilians time to escape."

"So you reasoned with her to allow the civilians to escape?"

"That is correct."

"But there is still the fact that was that millions of Dominion soldiers would die defending the emperor when the Zerg invaded."

"In war, there are many unnecessary casualties. The deaths of these brave soldiers was an unfortunate inevitability of what would happen. My father would not let himself step down and die to spare the lives of the Dominion because his rule was not about the service to the people. He hid behind the walls of many of his soldiers because he was self centered and devoted only to his personal gain."

"A very interesting statement from our new leader. This will bring us into our next set of questions. With what the people of Kopurul have seen with the fall of the Confederacy and the rise and fall of Arcturus Mengsk, many people might seem skeptical about the new leader of the empire that was created by the man that had self interest in mind. Furthermore, many people could see letting the Queen of Blades come down to kill your father as an equivalent of what your father did to Tarsonis to assume power when it was finished. My question for you is what can we expect from you as the new leader and what can you do to convince the people that you will actually live by your words of change?"

This was the most important moment that Valerian was waiting for. "Right now, sitting here in this cozy studio chair, all I can do is give my statements to the people for them to know what to expect. If the actions are not met, then I was either lying or faced more opposition and complications than I anticipated."

"But how will we know if the actions you do are meeting what you have made? When your father was in power, there were heavy restrictions on news materials and people who were caught seeing any broadcasts or news streams that were not approved by the Dominion were charged with treason punishable by death."

"The first priority is free press. My father said that UNN was the only true source of information and any other broadcasts by pirate broadcasters were lies to divide the Dominion people. But the truth is that this was used to narrow the people's vision of the galaxy to hide his crimes. My first action is to remove these restrictions and to give the approval of second and third party news sources to be formed and be viewable by all dominion citizens." Valerian smiled. "I hope this doesn't upset you because you might lose a few viewers when they start looking at other sources."

"That's ok." Kate replied. "We'll do our best for our studio as we always have."

She looked down at her notes for the next question.

"Other questions revolve around the fringe worlds and the seceding colonies that declared independence after many were overrun by the Zerg offensive and after the broadcast of your father's cruel action on Tarsonis. What are you going to do about this considering that many of these worlds provide vital resources for the Dominion and its people."

"The key to this is trust. My father gave very little necessities for the colonies and even put harsh military enforcement on these worlds forcing the colonists into harsh labor. What I have planed is to instate a code of conduct and procedure for military personal on the Dominion worlds so no harsh actions will be conducted on the people. And with the freedom of the press, the people can know what is happening on the Dominion worlds.

"For the independent colonies, there will be no actions to take them back by force. Instead, we will leave the door back to the Dominion open for them. If they want to rejoin, they can. If not, they can still be on their own. But as of now, I have sent negotiators to the independent colonies to talk to them and hopefully they can agree to open relations to the Dominion. If we can begin trade with them and have them give political feedback, relations between the core worlds, the fringes and the independent colonies can begin to heal. Hopefully we can form it into something more efficient and effective than it was when my father was in power."

"Repairing relations is a good start," Kate said. "Speaking of which, what is the Dominion's situation with the Kel-Morian Combine and the Umojan Protectorate? Many hostilities have happened with the Combine while relations with the Protectorate have been shrouded in secrecy though it is rumored to have several hostilities."

"The Combine is our main concern with the bitter history that my father had with them but we are working on our relationships with them as we speak. I however cannot share sensitive information regarding that right now. I can say is that we hope to make many arrangements that can benefit the Combine and help the Dominion rebuild its worlds and to rebuild our fleets. On the other hand, I can safely say that our relationship with the Umojan Protectorate will be better with my history with them. The arrangements I made with them to shelter the Korhal refugees prior to the Zerg invasion was one of the first steps. Granted they will be wary about the new Dominion as they have helped my father with his war with the Confederacy and that's understandable. But I do believe that given time, we can connect with our greatest ally which is the Protectorate."

"It sounds like you have your work cut out for you." Kate said. "And the fleets are the people's next concern. With the Queen's of Blade's conquest, the Dominion fleet and major production and manufacturing facilities were decimated. What is the plan to make them operational again for protection against more threats?"

"We start by trading with our potential allies to gain the resources we need. My father had always used tactics to have people work in harsh and unrelenting conditions that would be the equivalent of slavery. By trading with the independent worlds and allowing the people of the Dominion colonies access to essential resources and give standards for the workers' health and the work conditions, our production can get on track with healthier worlds."

"Many people are concerned that this new approach might not be enough to rebuild our fleets in time to face the threats." Kate replied. "The particular threats are the increased pirate activity as well as the potential return of the Zerg and possibly the Protoss."

"Piracy is an issue but we have the help of James Raynor and many of his allies to combat piracy if it strikes. The connections he had with several mercenary groups could also reduce the number of attacks through negotiation. It is unknown if the Queen of Blades might return now that her known primary goal of killing my father is complete. But we will remain vigilant for any Zerg, perhaps ferial Zerg that don't serve her directly. I can tell you that the Protoss will not be a severe threat."

"That is a bold statement considering the reports of a Protoss attack on the independent colony of Haven who's people were former colonists of the Agria colony."

"I was initially skeptical about that attack but from the reports I've read and the eye witness of James Raynor, the Protoss attacked the colony because of a Zerg virus that infected several of the colonists. Raynor held off the attack just enough for their scientists to syntheses a cure to stall or eradicate the virus. What this says is that the Protoss have no interest in fighting humanity, they're only concern was to stop the Zerg. I should also say that James Raynor has allied with the Protoss in the past before and during the Brood War. Because the Zerg shouldn't become a serious issue with humanity now, I do believe that a skirmish like what happened on Haven will be less likely to happen again. Many people have also said they want to make a formal truce with the Protoss so they could share their knowledge and technology with humanity. Many of the leaders of the Umojan Protectorate have expressed this interest as well."

"Do you believe that Humanity should try this risky action with the advanced alien species?"

"Ever since birth, I have had a great desire in archeology practically in the Xeno-archeological field. Every new technology and we discover and every form of knowledge we uncover can open new paths and opportunities for humanity to explore. When the time comes and we make our changes to our image, perhaps one day we can do that. But for now, we need to focus on rebuilding from the downfall of my father."

Kate looked down at her notes one last time. The interview had proceeded smoothly and she had gotten many of the important questions answered. There was one last question to ask and it was the important one that people would want to know.

"Ok we are nearing the end of our interview so I have one last question for you." Kate said and paused for a moment. "When your father destroyed the Confederacy and founded the Dominion, he sent out a promise to the people of the sector that he would ensure humanity's survival and assumed power to keep humanity safe from itself and the other threats of the galaxy. But his words were deceptive and many say that his rule was like that of the Confederacy. What we want to know is what your motivations for ruling are. How can we be reassured that you are a truly different leader? And if it's not too personal of a question, can you tell us what it is that separates you from your father."

The question that he knew was coming. The one that was crucial if he was going to win the trust of the people of the Dominion and beyond.

"I could say that I'm not like my father by my actions so far but that would not be enough. When I first met my father before he founded the Sons of Korhal, he wasn't very impressed with how I was when I was raised by my mother alone. We didn't find many good ways to spend time with each other. I didn't have a knack for firing guns at the firing range which he did. My interests had been in the books my mother read to me and in the ruins of the past. I can also remember that my mother had many arguments with him about how he treated me when he spent time with me. It really wasn't a good start between us.

"But he did care for my mother and for me when he told us to go into hiding when the Confederacy assassinated my grandfather, Angus Mengsk. That was when my father took my grandfather's place in bringing down the Confederacy.

"Over the years, I rarely spoke to him. But I saw what he did to the Confederacy and it made me understand him more. He was headstrong and never showed his enemies weakness and never gave them any quarter. I admired that in him, in fact it was one of the very few things I admired about him. Everything else was something that my mother had been very wary about. He was a rebel against his father but he ended up becoming more like him than he realized. She saw that he was trying to make me like him, the same way my grandfather tried to make my father like him.

"Prior to the Brood War, he came to Umoja to visit my mother and I one last time before he went back to run the Empire. When he came down to the villa where I was, we were ambushed by a strike force of Confederate Resistance forces. My father and I were able to hold off the attackers until General Duke arrived to help.

"That attack was the turning point between me and my father. He saw great potential and strength in me when I fought. That was the day that he knew that I would be worthy successor to him. Before the attack, he told me that he was considering making me his hair before he took down the Confederacy. It was after that day that confirmed that he needed me for his empire.

"In the last moments that I talked to my mother when she was dying, she told me she was proud of me but she also made me promise to be my own man," Valerian paused. "I believe that is what drives me to be better leader and a better person. After the funeral, I sat down with my father and he told me his story of how he defied his own father and how he came to be the new leader of his Dominion. After he finished, I said to him that I wouldn't be like him and make the same mistakes he did. He accepted what I said, saying it would be better if I make my own mistakes.

"So the reason why I believe I can be a better leader and not make the mistakes my father made is because of my promise to my mother. But you might ask how I will be different. The answer came to me when I was with Raynor and the Raiders when we fled from my father. When I was with them, I saw the brother and sisterhood that the crew of the Hyperion held. It was a strong bond that many would expect in the Dominion Marine Corp. Everyone had a purpose and they all knew their responsibilities and they relied on each other to get the job done. Seeing this made me realize what an empire needs. A leader doesn't strain the people that live below him to make the ones living higher up to do the real work. It is a system of trust and cooperation. A good and willing leader is needed but there has to be faithful followers to support him while the leader supports those who are under his rule. My father didn't realize this and that was why he fell from his seat of power. To make this empire work, I must be there for the people while they are there for me.

"During my adventure with the Raiders I saw the harsh lifestyle of the populace of Dead Man's Rock first hand. It is one of the true consequences of selfishness and distrust in the people. I know I won't be able to save every Terran in the sector from the horrid lifestyle of Dead Man's Rock or any of the other poor colonies, but I will do my best to lessen the pain as much as I can and give hope for those who lack it. I know that I will make several mistakes as the new emperor but I know I won't be making those of my father. For every mistake I and any Dominion citizen makes, we will learn from it and proceed to improve ourselves to lead humanity to a better future. But I can't do this alone. It is my hope and request to the people of the Dominion to give me a chance to be their leader so we may all move to that better tomorrow."

Kate was silent for a moment taking in what Valerian said. After a few seconds she proceeded to ending the interview.

"Thank you so much for being here tonight and I personally wish you luck in your journey to be the people's leader." Kate leaned forward and brought her hand in front of her.

"Thank you," Valerian smiled as he reached out to shake Kate's hand. "It was a real pleasure being here tonight."

Kate smiled and looked into the camera."For UNN this is Kate Lockwell wishing every Terran a good night and good luck with this new future that our new leader has in store for us."

* * *

**Author's Note:** My apologies for the delay, my work hours and Sochi has consumed most of my time and I'm behind on my planned writing schedule. But I managed to piece together what I have so far. It'll be about another 2 weeks to get the next chapter ready so be prepared for another wait. But as time approaches summer, the pace will pick up and hopefully I can update once per week more often. Thank you again for following my story and I hope you enjoy it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Talematros, Shakuras**

Artanis stood on the balcony of the Protoss Hierarchy temple that over looked the new Protoss capital of Shakuras. For four years, the Protoss had worked tirelessly to rebuild their civilization even after the devastation that came upon them. With the fleet shattered by the Queen of Blades at the end of the brood war, they stayed mostly unnoticed by the Terrans and the Zerg as they rebuilt their fleets and improved their technology.

The integration of the Kahlai and Nerazim wasn't seamless even after the Brood War. The vast majority of the Khalai where able to set aside the dissolved Conclave's prejudice of the "Dark Ones" since their first arrival to Shakuras. Others took their time mixing in with the Dark Templar while a few were very reluctant to work with each other. The members of the Ara Tribe, lead by Nahaan, were amongst the most reluctant due to their strong beliefs and ties to the Conclave.

Having formed the new hierarchy, Artanis had his work cut out for him as the newly appointed Hierarch. It was odd being the leader of the Protoss while being the age of 266 human years. In the old Conclave, most Templar and Executers were usually 200 at the least and reached usually to 400 years. The older ones that spanned to 700 years and beyond had the higher roles of Judicators. But because of his heroic actions and display of leadership working with both the Dark templar and the Khalai Protoss, he was the best candidate for this new role regardless of his age.

Standing beside Artanis was Mohandar, the Hierarchy member who represented the Dark Templar. Originally, Zeratul was to be the new leader of the Protoss people but because of the grief and guilt that came over him when he had to kill Razagal to free her from the Queen of Blades' influence, he sent himself into self exile. With Zeratul leaving Shakuras, Mohandar was to take the role of the leader of the Dark Templar and the new Hierarchy. But with Artanis's experience serving under Tassadar, Zeratul, Fenix and James Raynor, Mohandar stood down and gave the position to Artanis.

"Do you believe in what the new leader of the Terrans says?" Mohandar asked him. Because the Terrans' news transmissions was broadcast freely, the Protoss intercepted it and saw the interview of Valerian Mengsk. Because of their society and because of the Khala, the Khalai Protoss received their information nearly instantly while the Dark Templar received word conventionally from each other. The information that the Terrans broadcasted was only one point of view composed together in one presentation that was easy to be altered to deliver the information falsely. For most of the reconstruction after the Brood War, the Protoss paid little attention to the broadcasts. Several of the Protoss who actually listened to the broadcasts were very surprised by the reports on James Raynor. Because of his service to the Protoss people, they knew that the news of his terror campaign was false.

In the recent months that followed the Zerg offensive on the Terran worlds, their observers caught most of the activity from the orbits of the Terran systems. When the Char invasion started, confusion engulfed the Terran public while the Protoss had only little more understanding of what was really happening. They didn't have any active observers orbiting Char with the dense patrol of Overseers that could spot the observers to be shot down shortly after being spotted. In the recent months, with the return of the Zerg when Korhal was invaded, the Protoss received the broadcast of the new leader and they heard what he had to say about what happened during the time between the pacification of the Queen of Blades to the slaying of his father.

"The trend of father and son is a universal theme among any intelligent species," Artanis said. "The Terrans are no exception. So many become like their fathers and mothers whether by choice or unintentional outcome while others do become different."

"That doesn't give much reassurance. The previous leader made similar promises to the people and it was a blinding fog to hide his real intentions," Mohanndar said. "It is common among Terrans as we have seen of them. However, it is curious that he did not say that the Protoss were enemies to the Terrans unlike his father."

"His interest in the ruins of the past my hold truth. Open mindedness is what allowed Tassadar to bring the Kahili and Nerazim and it was open mindedness that allowed the Protoss to become allies with Raynor and his followers."

"That may be, but I do have to say we should not be too quick to trust. Trust is something that is very difficult to truly achieve in this moment in time. Especially since he admitted his collaboration with the Queen of Blades."

When the Protoss learned of the vague information of what happened on Char, they made assumptions about what happened to her. When the broadcast of Ranyor's capture and death was sent, along with the message of the Swarm being defeated by Mengsk himself, they were skeptical of it all. It was shocking that the long friend of the Protoss was announced dead by the man whom he was fighting against to save his kind from him. But the confirmation that Raynor was still alive came more of a shock than relief. The vague video footage of the final stand of the Dominion Palace showed the Hyperion descend down to the imperial sector and unloaded it's forces to fight alongside the Swarm.

"It was foolish to allow her to live after they somehow were able to pacify her and leave her venerable for just enough time to avenge all the deaths of both the Terrans and of our kin."

Artanis looked down. "Raynor did speak of his strong relationship with Kerrigan before that day he vowed to destroy the man who left her to the Zerg. Perhaps it was that feeling that caused him to keep her alive."

"Personal feelings have been known to get in the way of what needs to be done. The Terrans, including James Raynor, have done this in almost every aspect."

"Perhaps Raynor believed that when she had been returned that she could redeem herself. But it would have been hard to convince any of us that it could be done."

"Are you saying that you might have considered absolving her of her crimes on Raynor's possible plead to allow her another chance?"

"No," Artanis said smoothly. "I am only saying that Raynor is a very dedicated individual who fights harder for what he believes than any other Terran in the Koprulu sector. But since we must be take the wishes of our people into account first, Raynor's needs are secondary."

"Well, whatever could have happened, the fact remains that the Queen of Blades has returned with even more power than we have witnessed before."

Artanis expended a mental sigh.

"However, there are many things that are puzzling about what Valerian Mengsk said," Mohanndar said. "How she allowed the civilians of Korhal to escape before she sent her minions to tear the planet apart. And do you believe the story of Kerrigan rescuing Raynor?"

"It is a very confusing turn of events indeed."

"Nahhan has already expressed that Raynor's rescue was only to use him in her final battle against the former Emperor."

"Raynor had expressed his hatred for Arcturus Mengsk a numerous number of times for his crimes against his own race. Perhaps that is what drove him to fight with the Swarm to see the former emperor finally burn. But what of this allowing the civilians to escape before she unleashed her forces?"

"Could be another intention of goodwill to gain trust like when she came to us at the start of the Brood War."

"I might have to agree with you on that subject. The massacre on Kalder might be the proof that it is another trick."

When the Kalder colony last reported in, they encountered Zerg on the planet but they managed to hunt down the leader Broodmother and killed her. But after that, nothing ever got out to Shakuras about their status. The hierarchy sent a recon fleet to Kalder lead by admiral Uran to investigate what happened. When they arrived, they found the entire colony was destroyed and not a single Protoss soul was alive. They accessed the damaged logs from the Nexuses and it reported that the shuttles attempted to depart through the warp conduits inbound for Shakuras.

At first, the recon team didn't know what to think of it. They first assumed that the Zerg the colony had pursued regrouped and overwhelmed them. But when the Terran News Broadcasts reported major attacks on several of the Dominion industrial complexes and the Protoss's own observers reported increased Zerg, it confirmed that the Queen of Blades had indeed returned to power. It was then assumed that Kerrigan had intervened on Kalder and caused the deaths of the colonists.

"It really is a dark and confusing time for our people, isn't it." Mohanndar said.

"It is," Artanis replied. "But it does not mean that we are defeated. We must still keep our will strong if we are to live through this. If we are cautious, we can make it through with minimal fatalities."

Mohanndar nodded as he retreated back into the temple leaving Artanis to observe the people that he now lead.

* * *

**Augustgrad, Korhal**

Valerian sat in his tent and smiled lightly. He felt he did well in his interview. Some things he felt could have gone better but looking back at what he did manage to get across to the viewers was more than he was expecting to get across. Pointing out differences in policy and elaborating on what will happen was a very essential key in swaying the public opinion and he did just that. But details in policy wasn't going to convince people that he would be different than the leader before him. He needed to tell them of his personal story of how he grew up and what he accepted and resented from his father. The theme of the children rebelling against their parents is a very common theme among terrans in general but his father's story of how he rebelled against Angus and ended up like him would be counter the point of the children will be different. But since he was raised by his mother and grew up having more interests in archeology and the mysteries of the past was something that could tell people that he had a different interest than just conflict and war which is what his father went with when he sighed up to become a Confederate officer.

The personal story was the mover especially if you talked about the turning points of one's life. His promise to his mother was a very large promise to make because it would be hard to keep it when they won't be able to see you and tell you if you're keeping the promise. But that feeling of your mother looking down on you and seeing what you are doing, it makes you want to make her proud and strive to be that person not just for her, but for yourself. That is what Valerian believed and he hoped that the majority of the Dominion people could believe that.

The communicator in his tent buzzed indicating an incoming transmission. Valerian stood from his chair and walked over to it. He pressed the button and stood back to see who was calling him. The holo projector activated forming the green hologram. It was Queen of Blade standing right in front of him.

Valerian raised his eyebrows in surprise but only for a moment.

"Kerrigan," He said. "I wouldn't have thought that you would have come to me to talk."

"Well you did have your impressive interview with the Dominion press, so I figured I would say what a decent job you did," Kerrigan said.

"So the Zerg do listen to the United News Network after all."

"It's something that can benefit the Zerg when you have a Terran communicator on board the Zerg command ship. Your handling the fallout pretty well so far. So I can give you a compliment on that part."

Valerian smiled. "I accept your complement and thank you for it. But I know that that's not the reason why you're calling me."

"I'm here to tell you that this truce between the Terrans and the Protoss might need to happen sooner than you expected."

Kerrigan's hologram leaned forward, " You do know why I have left Dominion space in a hurry, do you?"

"I do have a basic idea." Valerian said. "This prophecy that involves you and the Zerg."

"It's something that I and Jim know the most details of. The Xel'naga spoke of the one who'll end all life in the Galaxy and I am an anomaly in that one's grand plan."

"Yes, that is what I know off the top of my head," Valerian said. "But I assume there is perhaps more to this than just you."

"I have seen the power of this force through his servant Narud when I nearly died defeating him. From what I know, I alone won't be able to defeat him."

"So I assume that you're asking me for help? That would be a problem considering that your Swarm reduced the Dominion Fleet to nearly a quarter of its original size."

"No, I'm not asking you to fight with me. I'm asking you to get the Terran's back on their feet. But I also need you to get together with the Protoss when the time comes."

Valerian took a moment before replying. "From what I'm hearing, it sounds like that you're going to send yourself and the Swarm at this 'Fallen One' of the Xel'naga prophecy and leave us and the Protoss to finish the fight afterwards."

"You catch on pretty quick. Do you see a problem with this plan?"

Valerian took a pause. "When you're a leader, you know that there are many difficult choices that have to be made. I also know that personal feelings are strained in the long outcome of leadership. From what little I know about you, your relationship with Jim is strained but somehow you and him are at peace with each other."

Sarah fought back some irritation with her personal relationship. She redirected the subject. "What I'm saying to you is that you need to be ready when the time comes because the Protoss will need help."

"I see," Valerian said connecting the dots. "Because of your uneasy relationship with the Protoss, you don't want to be involved in anything that will happen between humanity and the Protoss."

"I was concerned about what you said about collaborating with me because it will make the Protoss suspicious. If you're going to make a truce with them, you cannot have any connections to me."

"I'll do my best to not to mention anything about our relationship with the Zerg, only that we should be relieved that they won't be a direct threat to humanity anymore."

"Thank you for understanding," Kerrigan said.

"However, there are a few things that I want to discuss with you and perhaps it'll help you with your journey to fight the Fallen one."

Sarah paused for a moment. "I'm listening."

"I know that it's not my place to say, but Jim might want to know about what you are doing."

"I only need him to know that I have to do what I need to do and he needs to do what he needs to do." Kerrigan said. "He is the key for humanity's alliance with the Protoss. The Protoss will not cooperate at all if he has any connections with me. You and Jim will have to work together to get humanity together and fight with the Protoss."

"I understand," Valerian said. "But when you left, I assumed he would have wanted to join you once he helps pick up the pieces of your campaign for a little while."

Sarah closed her eyes for a quick second. "I know he still has those strong feelings for me, but under the circumstances of what I put myself, him and the rest of the sector in, it has to be this way. If I come across him again, I will have to tell him myself. For now don't say a word."

"I understand," Valerian said. "Nothing is ever simple when you're a leader."

"Thank you for understanding," Kerrigan said. "Now didn't you say that you might have something that might help me?"

"When I formed the Moebius Foundation, we did not know anything about the Xel'naga artifact that reversed the infestation of you. But one of my most valuable researchers made the discovery of the theory of reversing the infestation. You might not remember him, but you pursued him when you were your old self when a Protoss preserver was integrated into his mind."

Sarah thought for a minute.

"Jacob Ramsey."

"Oh, so you do remember. Good. He was the one who helped find the artifacts and he has had much research with the Protoss and Xel'naga. If there is anything that I can help you with finding your enemy, Jake Ramsey is the best help I can give you."

"I appreciate the help. But I sense that you wouldn't give me the identity and location of one of your most valuable archeologists without some precautions."

"Whatever you need from him, I only wish that he be alive and unharmed."

"If his usefulness requires him to point directions, I will need to bring him along for that purpose. But I'll make sure my brood leave him alone."

"Very well. After his little adventure with the Protoss Preserver that was infused into his mind, I personally made sure that he would stay hidden from my father and any other enemy that would come after him. But my father found a way to draw him out. He used one of his closest friends, Rosemary Dahl, as leverage to draw him out and return to the Dominion."

"Where is he now?"

"He's on Tyrador VIII. After you overran the planet as your old self, Jake was relocated until the invasion of Char. After that, my father sent him back to Tyrador for a good hiding spot. But now that my father is dead, I have learned about the secret Dominion project he was put into. And I am content in giving you him but only if you promise to make sure he and no one else gets hurt."

"I'll use my discretion. This Zerg skin didn't take away everything that I learned when I had human hair. I'll have him join me and give him livable quarters."

"Thank you Kerrigan. I wish you luck in your journey."

"And I wish you luck to become a better man than what your father was."

The communicator went dark.

* * *

**Aboard the Leviathan**

"Izsha, set a course for Tyrador VIII," Kerrigan said. "Tell the other brood mothers to wait at the rendezvous point."

"Yes, my Queen." Izsha said.

"Why are we heading back to Terran space?" Zagara said.

"There is a Terran that may have information on the location of Amon. If we find him, we will be one step closer to finding our enemy."

"I see," Zagara said. "He has a purpose for the swarm."

"Temporally. But he is not to be harmed when he gives his services to the swarm or after his usefulness is done. We are to release him once he has helped us."

Zagara was about to respond but she stopped herself. Instead she simply said, "Yes, my queen."

"Good," Sarah said as she retreated back into her chambers. As she left, Zagara thought to herself. What was the purpose of sparing the lives of some of the particular Terrans that had come across the Swarm? First the Terran James Raynor was rescued by the Queen and was sent back to his crew that the Swarm had collaborated with temporally? She was puzzled with that instance until the final battle of the Terran capital. The Terrans and the leader had returned to aid the swarm's efforts. They had done an admirable job although it was the Swarm that did most of the fighting through the entire invasion. With the Swarm's numbers, they could have won the battle on their own. But the Queen did mention when they left Korhal that she was caught in a trap and the Terran that she rescued managed to arrive and save her from being destroyed. The Terrans did have their purpose in the battle, but what was the purpose of letting them live in the end? Zagara pushed away the thoughts temporally to focus on the bigger matters that were coming.

* * *

**Author's Note: **This is going to difficult to say because it's something that many writers don't want to admit to their readers.

I'm running out of gas for StarCraft, but only temporally.

I'll still work on bits and pieces in the long run. Since this is my first original long term novel length project, I hope that you can understand and forgive me.

The gas in my tank right now is Mass Effect with a little bit of Avatar again. Don't worry, my Mass Effect fic will be a short story length just like my previous two fics and my abandoned Avatar story "Regret" is about a third done already. Once those are complete, I'll have StarCraft fully back in my tank and I'll get it in gear. I am very sorry and I hope that I'm not disappointing any of you too much. Regardless, thank you for your reviews and support. I don't know if I could continue this fic without any of you. Expect the revival of this story to come in mid July.


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